Hold Me Back
by GreyPandas5
Summary: Years after meeting Klaus Mikaelson, the man who killed her father, Caroline Forbes finds herself as an orphan. Her mother was gone from illness, something that she had no control over. But the day Klaus vowed for her to see him as a better person was the day she vowed to get revenge. All she needed was patience, a witch, and a white oak stake.


**A/N I'm not perfect, so sorry for any mistakes. Please review and let me know how I am doing. Only constructive criticism please!**

**-Grey**

_**1858**_

The twelve year old girl gave her two best friends a wide grin. Happiness radiated off of her as if she was made from it.

"Caroline, stop looking at us like that," grumbled the older Salvatore. He felt uneasy about her sudden spur of joy.

"Are you okay?" asked the youngest Salvatore. Unlike his brother, Stefan wanted to know what caused her to come running up to them with such a goofy smile when only yesterday she seemed distressed about her family moving to another town.

Caroline merely nodded and grasped Stefan's shoulders to calm herself from the rush of adrenaline coursing through her. She replayed what had happened only moments ago in her mind, causing more happiness to wash over her. "You both will not believe what I saw," she said with widened blue eyes.

The tone of her voice caused both Salvatores to look at her in confusion and worry. They had known each other since birth, and were closer than most would think. All three of them knew when something was off about one another, and something about Caroline was troubling them.

"What did you see?" asked Damon, though he inwardly scolded him for doing so. The moment the words left his lips, Caroline had already begun telling her story.

"Mother had told me to help Father pack up but Father did not need my help, so I had nothing to do. But then Father told me to go fetch some firewood for tonight-"

"_What did you see?"_ repeated an impatient voice.

Caroline shot Damon a glare and rolled her eyes at him. "As I was saying, I was told to get firewood. While I went to get some, I saw some deer. One nearly trampled me but then this man saved me! You would not believe what he looked like. His teeth were sharp like these," Caroline opened her mouth and pointed to her canine teeth, "and his veins protruded from under his eyes."

The Salvatores looked at her in confusion, finding her story as nothing more than a fib brought by an active imagination.

Damon cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow. "Caroline, are you sure you are okay?" he asked.

"Damon, it's true! The man even tried to get me to forget about it and said to go back home. His pupils dilated as if on purpose!" Caroline earnestly said. Her eyes showed that she was hurt at her friends' reaction. She thought that they would believe her.

"Care..." Stefan's voice trailed off.

Caroline childishly stomped her foot. "I mean it, Stefan! I know what I saw!" she exclaimed.

"Caroline," sighed Damon, "it's impossible."

A scowl found its way to Caroline's face, replacing the smile that was once there. "If you do not believe me then so be it," she huffed, then stormed away.

A week after the incident with her mysterious savior, Caroline was on a dirt road in her family's carriage, on the way to another town. Her parents spoke in hush tones, though Caroline was able to make out a few words.

"Beast...blood...dead...stake."

Caroline played with the bracelet on her wrist, not knowing that it was the only thing keeping her from the compulsion of the beast her parents spoke of. The sudden jolt of the carriage caused Caroline to gasp. Her baby blue eyes peeked out the window, only to see darkness.

"Just a bump, Sweetheart," Bill Forbes told his daughter. "There are many on the path we are on," he said.

His wife, Elizabeth, 'Liz', sighed. "I told you we should have taken the other route," she muttered. "Going through the woods is unsafe. Especially with what is going on."

"It is the fastest way."

The night sky could barely be seen through the myriad trees that loomed over them. A shiver ran down Caroline's spine, causing her to shudder.

"Mama, something does not feel right," Caroline murmured.

As if on cue, a cry pierced through the air and the carriage stopped moving. An eerie silence followed, causing the Forbes family to grasp each other with fear. Bill pressed a finger to his lips, signaling for his daughter to remain quiet. Caroline gave a short nod and held her breath, scared that her breathing was loud.

Suddenly, the door was flung open. An arm reached in and grabbed Bill, yanking him away from his family. Liz protectively shielded Caroline from view as screams filled their ears. She reached for the steak hidden under the seat, but a voice stopped her movements.

"I would not do that if I were you," said a British voice.

Caroline's eyes widened when she saw the owner of the voice. It was the man who saved her. The only difference in how he looked was the blood covering his mouth and clothes.

"Beast," Liz hissed.

"I prefer the name, 'Klaus,' but I suppose 'beast' is more suiting in this predicament."

Klaus Mikaelson smirked at Liz before grabbing her by her throat. His grip tighten only slightly, but it was enough to choke her.

"Stop!" cried out an angered voice.

The vampire looked past his victim to see the little girl he had saved a week ago. He was positive it was her. She had the same blonde ringlets and soft blue eyes. There was no sign of fear from her as she tried to pry his fingers away from her mother's throat.

"No," choked out Liz. She tried to push her daughter behind her, but the lack of oxygen was causing her to fail miserably.

Klaus eyed Caroline curiously. After a moment, he released Liz and grabbed Caroline instead. His hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from the carriage. Liz sobbed and tried to reach out for her daughter but with no avail.

"What is your name?" Klaus asked the twelve year old.

"Caroline. Caroline Forbes," she answered bravely.

Klaus crouched down so that he was at eye level as her. His voice was softer than she expected it to be as he asked, "Do you remember me?"

Caroline stuck her chin in the air. "So what if I do?" she asked in response.

The two stared at each other. Only two yards away laid Bill's unmoving body. The corpse caught Caroline's attention and she sucked in a sharp breath of air. Her eyes then landed on her mother, who was struggling to even move. Then, Caroline looked back at Klaus with a malicious glare.

"You are a monster," she snarled.

Klaus frowned as his grip on her tightened. His eyes trailed down to the bracelet on her wrist. "Caroline Forbes, there will come a day when you will see me as someone better than a monster," he vowed.

Just as quick as he came, Klaus left at an inhuman speed, leaving Caroline confused and fatherless.


End file.
